kristeen young - halfway across the atlantic ocean


the day… that it became… clear… was… the first time that i saw you for the 150th time, but can you blame me? i was reaching, reaching… halfway across the atlantic ocean.

the place… it socked my square jaw face… my toe had dipped to rate and you grabbed me, in up to my waist. contrary to unpopular opinion, the water was welcoming warm, and we slid easily, wrapped up and reaching, reaching… halfway across the atlantic ocean.

the time… i grope to find that there is no sign… with bottomless hope, i’ll dive. then, i will swim ‘til my limbs are numb and dim, with a paralysed hip, i’ll slip, fingertips to sea lip. eternally reaching, more than… halfway across the semantic ocean.

gone, gone, gone… i have enough rope when you’re gone, gone, gone. the oven’s cozy when you’re gone, gone, gone. prescriptions filled when you are gone, gone, gone. it’s cocked and loaded when you’re gone, gone, gone. my knives get sharpened when you’re gone, gone, gone. it tastes like almonds when you’re gone, gone, gone.
the traffic’s playful when you’re gone. take flying leaps when you are gone. autoerotic when you’re gone. see, i’ll be fine when you are gone.




“my only love song.”

and there you were… a visitor. out of this world, kicked to the curb.
i said, “c’mon, let’s get outta here.”




     (kristeen young)

leonard cohen - chelsea hotel #1 (live ‘72)


you said, “well never mind, we are ugly but we have the music.”

Kleines Liebeslied


Weil deine Augen so voll Trauer sind,
Und deine Stirn so schwer ist von Gedanken,
Laß mich dich trösten, so wie man ein Kind
In Schlaf einsingt, wenn letzte Sterne sanken.

Die Sonne ruf ich an, das Meer, den Wind,
Dir ihren hellsten Sommertag zu schenken,
Den schönsten Traum auf dich herabzusenken,
Weil deine Nächte so voll Wolken sind.

Und wenn dein Mund ein neues Lied beginnt,
Dann will ichs Meer und Wind und Sonne danken,
Weil deine Augen so voll Trauer sind,
Und deine Stirn so schwer ist von Gedanken.




     mascha kaléko

sibylle baier - says elliott